Many types of interfaces are used to control devices and components. Physical controls can be used to manually control the operation of many kinds of devices. In many cases, software interfaces can also be provided to control the operation of a device. Some devices may accept control inputs using both physical and software based control interfaces.
For example, consider the common thermostat that is used to control the operation of HVAC equipment within a home or office. Many thermostats can be controlled by a user using mechanical knobs and switches that exist on the thermostat unit itself. Some thermostats include a software interface, using a touchscreen, that allows the user to program and operate the thermostat via the software interface. There are even web-enabled thermostats, where a browser-based interface can be used to control the operation of the thermostat.
The problem with these conventional approaches is that they all require a dedicated interface to be particularly designed and implemented for the device. For the manufacturer of the product, this results in a relatively costly process to design the interface, which may be difficult to change at a later date, reduces design flexibility, and which may be excessively complex to build. For the user of the product, the conventional interfaces are often too complex to learn how to use (involving many pages of instructions) and may be too specific to the product.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved approach to implement access and control to devices and components that address these problems of the conventional approaches.